U51 Preview 2: Feat Changes + New Feats

[slarden]

Arcane Pulse is still here Just because a feat isn't specifically listed in this post doesn't mean it's being removed.

Right what is lost for force users is arcane tempest (similar name) + the removal of force spellpower from scion of feywild. Both of these are gut punches to a force user, but thanks for not removing arcane pulse at least.

[Pandjed]

Right what is lost for force users is arcane tempest (similar name) + the removal of force spellpower from scion of feywild. Both of these are gut punches to a force user, but thanks for not removing arcane pulse at least.

Well, we can still hope for Arcane Tempest to be added as a regular spell. Or be returned with one of the new destinies one day (probably warlock then).

As for force spellpower: Scion of Feywild never had force spellpower? Arborea has force spellpower and as it's not stated, I just assume that it'll stay the same.
If you mean between preview 1 and 2, then I guess there is a reason for it. Maybe warlocks. Getting both blast and pact damage up with one feat may have concerned them, though I can only make guesses here.

In this vein, Epic Spell Power Force rather seems to be a win for force spellpower vs. life. But yes, having no other option to improve spell crit with force makes it a bit meh, but otoh, this may be a chance for another feat to include it (maybe Elysium to do something else than buffing summons, Celestia to improve Blade Barriers for divines, and sunbursts for arcanes or Arborea, as it already includes force spellpower and make hybrids more interesting) or a brand new feat, like Scion of Ysgard.

[SpardaX]

I don't know how easy this would be to implement in DDO, but in Pathfinder, and Pathfinder's video games, Skill Focus works slightly differently (better) than 3.5's skill focus. It works as follows:

+3 to the skill. (That much is the same)
But
If you get to having 10 ranks in the skill, Skill Focus automatically doubles to +6.

I was thinking what if instead of just flatly removing the Epic Skill Focus feats, you did the same? So remove the epic skill focus feats, and replace / update all existing regular skill focus feats to be as follows:

Skill Focus (Skill)
Gain +3 to (Skill)
If you have 20 or more ranks in (Skill), this benefit increases to +8. (You could maybe make this also require level 21 or higher but I don't know how possible that would be with the current system)

(+8 coming from: Base +3 +5 from epic)


You could even maybe split the difference and learn from Pathfinder to instead have:

Skill Focus (Skill)
Gain +3 to (Skill)
If you have 10 or more ranks in (Skill), this benefit increases to (+5 or +6, which ever you the devs feel is fairer)
If you have 20 or more ranks in (Skill), this benefit increases to +8.

Same total bonus, still requires a feat, but can be taken in heroic, and gets enough power over time that someone who wants the skill, which if they're taking skill focus hopefully they WANT the skill, would see a worthy improvement out of it. This would also work towards your stated goal of reclaiming feats no one wants.

Or perhaps, since the system knows what rank we are in skills, since it needs to know that to even offer us Epic Skill Focus, what if you made heroic Skill Focus a prerequisite of Epic Skill Focus, and then every epic level the system checks if the player qualifies for an Epic Skill Focus feat (IE: Do they have both 20 in the skill, and the skill focus feat), and then just auto grant all applicable Epic Skill Focus feats that player qualifies for along with their Epic Power feats for that epic level?

[Arctigis]

Can you update death aura and greater death to scale past level 20 so it can take advantage of the increases in caster level?

Right now the amount healed on both cap at level 20, regardless of maximum caster level, so the loss of epic destiny spell power on a PM is a survivability decrease not made up for by the caster level increase.

The whole CL/MCL behaviour is unpredictable and non-intuitive. They should've
abandoned it years ago. I've little doubt the 'new' change to caster levels will
still have the same unpredictable behaviour with actual spells.

[Iriale]

Right what is lost for force users is arcane tempest (similar name) + the removal of force spellpower from scion of feywild. Both of these are gut punches to a force user, but thanks for not removing arcane pulse at least.

The loss of arcane tempest is terrible. There is very little support for force, very few spells, and arcane tempest really helped. I don't know why devs are so afraid of force. It is an element that has resistances and even some mobs heal with force. They are the same devs who have created the absolute bypass to elemental energy! Of course, they are the same devs who refuse to support generalists who depend on various elements. Too much design inconsistency.

But the force support should be not only in feywild scion, but also in shadowfell scion. These two are the feats that users of force spells without elemental bypass usually choose. And I repeat, not all scions should be clones. They should be adapted to the needs of those who are going to use them. And if not that they put force support in the EDs!

[slarden]

Well, we can still hope for Arcane Tempest to be added as a regular spell. Or be returned with one of the new destinies one day (probably warlock then).

As for force spellpower: Scion of Feywild never had force spellpower? Arborea has force spellpower and as it's not stated, I just assume that it'll stay the same.
If you mean between preview 1 and 2, then I guess there is a reason for it. Maybe warlocks. Getting both blast and pact damage up with one feat may have concerned them, though I can only make guesses here.

In this vein, Epic Spell Power Force rather seems to be a win for force spellpower vs. life. But yes, having no other option to improve spell crit with force makes it a bit meh, but otoh, this may be a chance for another feat to include it (maybe Elysium to do something else than buffing summons, Celestia to improve Blade Barriers for divines, and sunbursts for arcanes or Arborea, as it already includes force spellpower and make hybrids more interesting) or a brand new feat, like Scion of Ysgard.

Based on feedback force was added to scion of the feywild in the 1st preview. It was removed in preview 2.

Any scion that has force needs to also have DC support otherwise it's not really a caster feat.

[Lynnabel]

Based on feedback force was added to scion of the feywild in the 1st preview. It was removed in preview 2.

Any scion that has force needs to also have DC support otherwise it's not really a caster feat.

Oh, I finally understand - you're talking about the notes! I've been spending the last week checking our feat tables internally going "hmm, no, it's definitely giving force, not really sure what's up" but nope, you're totally right, I accidentally omitted that change from the Preview 2 release notes. That's my fault for sure.

To be clear, Feywild does and has always given force, sonic, illusion DCs, and enchantment DCs (within the context of this overhaul).

[Iriale]

Oh, I finally understand - you're talking about the notes! I've been spending the last week checking our feat tables internally going "hmm, no, it's definitely giving force, not really sure what's up" but nope, you're totally right, I accidentally omitted that change from the Preview 2 release notes. That's my fault for sure.

To be clear, Feywild does and has always given force, sonic, illusion DCs, and enchantment DCs (within the context of this overhaul).

Add force support to shadowfell as well, please. Wizards and necro warlocks need it too, they don't have immunity bypass either.

[DRoark]

Unfortunately, U51 was already a done deal when we heard about it, so I'm not holding my breath they're actually going to fix any of the OLD issues,
or remove the unneeded EPL Toggles from the game and make them passive, like the Heroic TRs always have been. That would actually make sense.

[Little Timmy somehow remembers (+6) Ranged Damage, but forgets (+3%) DS... and remembers "how" to get (+30HP), but forgets +3 Swim.]

Instead, we get a niched game-Nuking update... with guess what. MORE Toggles. Joy.

We like you guys, usually ... but dang, fix the old stuff, and stop trying to be fancy. You're breaking the playerbase almost as much as the game.

[Tilomere]

Can rangers get a level 24 favored enemy feat if they have 12 ranger levels? Could it be called Student of the Thousand Year War and grant Dragons and Giants as favored enemies?

It would fit their level 24 slot just in time for epic GH. Ranger Horizon Walker and Deepwood Stalker favored enemy bow builds suck badly and have half or less of the dungeon clearing power/speed of an AoE melee or caster while leveling.

[SocratesBastardSon]

Can rangers get a level 24 favored enemy feat if they have 12 ranger levels? Could it be called Student of the Thousand Year War and grant Dragons and Giants as favored enemies?

Seconded. And cool name too!

[Gnominal_Aphasia]

Lynnabel [SSG],

Overall, I find the new approach to Epics, and ultimately further [Legendary levels], is an exciting and inspired revamp to DDO. But...

It's all well and good to expand "our" game and make it more attractive for newer players [this is needed] BUT there is a major problem with DDO, outside of the lag, and this is the existing bugs...

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE [for the love of Stormreach!] wake up and COMMIT to the repair and elimination of existing bugs like you have approached Update 51. We all have noticed that SSG has made considerable effort to enable player testing and feedback into their ambitious "update 51" project, even if not all players are agreed with the way forward.

I am SICK TO DEATH in knowing that so many of the Class Enhancement Trees, those fundamental building blocks that makes DDO the rich game it is, are FULL OF VERY OLD BUGS.

5 examples:

(1) Soul Eater CAPSTONE, bugged since introduction in 2015. It's a simple and known maths problem.

(2) Swashbuckler... this tree is awash with bugs. It also has some ridiculously high cost abilities and it's poorly designed.

(3) Mechanic THUNDERSTONE and TIME BOMB don't work as intended. What are you waiting for?

(4) Knight of the Chalice ASCENDENCY [reapers!] and HOLY RETRIBUTION don't work as intended.

(5) Universal Enhancement Tree VKF Tier 5 ability Whirling Blades doesn't work. At all. WHY NOT?

Not sure if Frenzied Berserker's Capstone ever got fixed? AFAIK Falconry's bird attacks DCs are still bugged. Inquisitive Tier 5 ability Improved Uncanny Dodge bug fixed?

I don't know what frustrates me more... the F2P class bugs that have existed for so long or the P2P class and universal tree bugs that cost players money. Out of them all, it's the Capstone and Tier 5 Ability bugs that are SHAMEFUL. And the entire Swashbuckler Tree as a whole is so expensive and outside the 2nd core (which is bugged for synergy with Feydark Illusionist weapons) I find it's a disappointing mess.

FIX THE OLD BUGS FIRST IF YOU WANT TO MAKE THE GAME MORE ATTRACTIVE. It's great that DDO is being developped but fixing the old problems will make it better as well. Rant over.

[wax_on_wax_off]

Can rangers get a level 24 favored enemy feat if they have 12 ranger levels? Could it be called Student of the Thousand Year War and grant Dragons and Giants as favored enemies?

It would fit their level 24 slot just in time for epic GH. Horizon Walker and Deepwood Stalker favored enemy bow builds suck badly and have half or less of the dungeon clearing power/speed of an AoE melee.

This is such a good feat idea.

[slarden]

Oh, I finally understand - you're talking about the notes! I've been spending the last week checking our feat tables internally going "hmm, no, it's definitely giving force, not really sure what's up" but nope, you're totally right, I accidentally omitted that change from the Preview 2 release notes. That's my fault for sure.

To be clear, Feywild does and has always given force, sonic, illusion DCs, and enchantment DCs (within the context of this overhaul).

Alright, thank you so much for the clarification! I don't currently take the feat but would like to swap to it - so when I log on to Lamannia I would have to swap to take it, but after reading the notes there was no point swapping since I no longer saw force.

As always I appreciate your engagement with the community.

I also agree with Iriale's thought of having shadowfell include negative and force since so many things are immune to negative.

[AebroKomatme]

Can rangers get a level 24 favored enemy feat if they have 12 ranger levels? Could it be called Student of the Thousand Year War and grant Dragons and Giants as favored enemies?

It would fit their level 24 slot just in time for epic GH. Horizon Walker and Deepwood Stalker favored enemy bow builds suck badly and have half or less of the dungeon clearing power/speed of an AoE melee.

Specific class feats in epics? That’s a terrible idea.

[AebroKomatme]

This is such a good feat idea.

*Sigh. No, no it isn’t. It’s the exact opposite of a good feat idea. Why would they start adding epic feats that only one class can use?

[SocratesBastardSon]

Specific class feats in epics? That’s a terrible idea.

There are quite a few class restricted, even enhancement tree-specific epic feats, e.g., Master of Knowledge, Master of the Wilds, Inspire Excellence, Improved Sneak Attack, Epic Eldritch Blast, etc. If it's a terrible idea, it's an old terrible idea. I on the other hand, like it a lot.

[Shadowperson]

*Sigh. No, no it isn’t. It’s the exact opposite of a good feat idea. Why would they start adding epic feats that only one class can use?

How does this impact your play experience in negative way?

[Tilomere]

Why would they start adding epic feats that only one class can use?

Improved Favored Enemy is an Epic Feat from D&D 3.5. It would be nice if they implemented any ranger epic feats from D&D:

Improved Favored Enemy [Epic]
Prerequisite
Five or more favored enemies.

Benefit
Add +1 to the bonus on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks and damage rolls against all your favored enemies.

Special
You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects stack.

=================

Bane Of Enemies [Epic]
Prerequisites
Survival 24 ranks, five or more favored enemies.

Benefit
Any weapon you wield against one of your favored enemies is treated as a bane weapon for that creature type (thus, its enhancement bonus is increased by +2 and it deals +2d6 points of damage). This ability doesn’t stack with similar abilities.

====================

Death Of Enemies [Epic]
Prerequisites
Bane of Enemies, Survival 30 ranks, five or more favored enemies.

Benefit
Any time you score a critical hit against one of your favored enemies, it must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + ½ your ranger class level + your Wisdom modifier) or die instantly.

Special
Creatures immune to critical hits can’t be affected by this feat.

[AebroKomatme]

How does this impact your play experience in negative way?

Actually, my favorite class is ranger. Having that feat would only help me.

But that said, there's enough clutter in epic feats as is, and others will want feats for their classes too. Besides, this particular feat request reeks of an OP, 2-for-1 deal, and specific to one person's individual wants and needs.

Giants and dragons?

I don't run into enough of those to make that worthwhile unless I want to pump up additional damage on my other favored enemies...and I run both heroic and epic GH every life.

Tell ya what...drop it down to ONE more favored enemy of our choice, and I'll get on board with it.